Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-13
EMMA ABBOTT.
Seo Rssept2 Aspersions from Preacher
Arising fr0m Her Seaf III Csurch
10 DrfsEh ,ae SiSge.
She Says Vics Ia Found Both In the Church
and thu Thea snr, and Resolves Big
Advertisements Thereby.

NASHVILLE, TENN, Oct. 9.-There wss
& sensational scene at MCKendree church
this morning. Rev. a. w. Gambler, one
of the most prominent ministers in the
south, the pastor OF McKentree, preach
sermon on thester going, and used Sc
verely denuncistory Language i'll conneC-
ton with theatera and theater-gCeTs, land in
speaking OF actors &nd actresses, spoke
Of them in the most uncomplime1tary
manner.
When Mr.. Chandler finished his sermon
| Miss Emma Abbott, who was in the au-
! dienCe, rose, trembling WITH emotion snd
very pale. Sne euGOuuced her
name, and then ssd that she had
been on the stage since she was eight
years old, and had alRsys tried conscien-
tiously, to the best Of her ability, TO do
| her duty before God 81 al times, and thst
| she would defy sDy one in the whole world
| to say one wOrG against her fair name.
She said she would speak OF sUen noble
women as Jenny Lind, Albsni, MOdjeska,
and countless other lights of the stage
who had led exemplary lives, who had
devoted themselves to doing good deeds,
aud who were noble wives and mothers.
| ing sung IN the opera, but when she knelt
down to sing the prayer in "Miguon" and
the Bohemian Girl,n those words came
right from her heart.
Before the deafenfng applause that fol-
lowed Miss A5bott's remarks had ceased,
Mr.. Gambler said: "I will not undertake
to reply to the lady as she is lady, but
such a performance is more suited TO
the thester than 20 the house of God.'
Your reporter called on Miss ABBOTT
after her return to the hotel and f und her
at dinner with her husband, fastening
through it in order to catch the afternoon
train TO Chattanooga. She was evidently
much wrought up.
"God Knows" she said, ISL have hum
bly, tried so do my duty my father and my
mother know II have been true WON
sn!y daughter to them, and l DEFY any one
| 20 say they ever heard aught against
Emma Abbott. ! have mad hard weeks
work here, and after two fstiguing per-
termances yesterday got up earlier than
usual to-day TO be able TO attend divine
worship am member of the church
and always attend if possible. | went
| humbly for comfort, and to ask Gods help
TO carry me through safely. l love coz
gregatlOnai singing, and l love church
music. Joined in al the hymns and
enjoyed them. 1 took my seat near the
door, as l always do. l went entirely &C
Cidentally to that church. In his sermon,
at first, the minister gave utterance to
anecdotes snd illustrations that thought
entirely irrelevant in the pulpit. When
be began TO speak Of theatrical people.
snd made q wholesale denuuciatiOn Of
eVery one of them, I could hardly contain
myself He did not make an exception,
and how could keep silent? Emma Alb
bOtt prizes her name as g Womsn as much
as she does her reputation as an artist"
Rev. Mr.. Gambler declined TO be iuJer-
viewed, but said if ne had got up in the
ater and attempted to express his views
policeman would have put him out. The
Incident caused the greatest excitement.
| Among other things, DR.. C.udler said
| in his sermon: "Do you say there is no
harm done where virtue is furnished snd
the moral perceptions OF the people are
being blunted? You are making smuse-
ment out Of the wrong thing. 1t treats
sacred things prcfsnelV. Here woman
comes along and prays on the stage, max
| ing prayers for amusement, and Christian
people go there and pay to hesr that VIC
man get down aad make mock Of pray
ing.
"Again, the theatre is an Iuchaste
place. 1t can only live by supplying the
demand for seEsationGlism. The Chspter
would not De complete unless We were to
ssy that the mambars Of McKendree
church had spent nesclY $1,000 in one
week in opening new thesser."